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Judge Dismisses Trump’s Poll Fraud Lawsuit With Prejudice

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 10:54 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Beattie Dismisses Trump

Judge Scott Beattie dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register with prejudice.
Trump, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and former Sen. Brad Zaun claimed the poll violated the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.
Beattie held the poll and its reporting are protected political speech under the First Amendment.
He noted the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act applies only to consumer transactions, not election polling.

Summary

Trump Sues Iowa

U.S. President Donald Trump filed an Iowa lawsuit challenging a poll’s accuracy.
Selzer, who quit polling after the 2024 election, conducted a poll that predicted Harris 47% vs Trump 44%.
Trump actually received 56% of nearly 2 million votes, far exceeding the poll’s projection.
FIRE cited Iowa’s 2025 anti-SLAPP law in defense, calling the case a test of that legislation.

History

Historical Context

After the Supreme Court’s 6-3 June 30 1971 ruling in New York Times Co. v. United States rejected government-ordered prior restraint on the Pentagon Papers, the First Amendment shield has been invoked in later disputes. In 2024, Iowa Judge Scott Beattie dismissed Donald Trump’s lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer, reaffirming that political speech and election polling remain protected.

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Beattie Dismisses Trump

Judge Scott Beattie dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register with prejudice.
Trump, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and former Sen. Brad Zaun claimed the poll violated the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.
Beattie held the poll and its reporting are protected political speech under the First Amendment.
He noted the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act applies only to consumer transactions, not election polling.

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